The Stuborn One
by dinolove453
Summary: The Doctor vowed he would never take another companion after Donna, so that both his hearts would remain intact. But between you and me, that could never have lasted long. Disregards The End of Time and the 10th Doctor's regeneration. 10/OC 10.5/Rose
1. With a Giant Pile of Textbooks

The Stubborn One

Part One: Discovery

A/N: Sorry, I know everyone really hates these stupid author notes at the beginning of a story; usually I'm one of them. But I happen to really like this story idea, I love this OC character and all of it. It's a really long chapter, and a really long story, but please be patient. The chapters get more and more exciting as time goes on. Anywho, please enjoy, and please review (I'm addicted to reviews)!

Ch. 1 With a Giant Pile of Textbooks

When I look back on it now- the last few years of my life- it seems to be one large, very elaborate dream. As if, prior to this moment, I was a mere ghost in time, a mere shadow of what I would be. I was the embryo to the chick, the caterpillar to the butterfly, the fetus to the baby, the seed to the seedling. It took two years of incubation to catalyze the reaction, for me to burst forth in my new form. It took two years for the person I was to transform, to die, to become the person I am now.

It seems, almost, as if I wasn't born to be what I was; I was born to be what I am, now.

I open my eyes and I see two, haunted brown eyes staring back at me in panic. I smile and I sit up, the whir of the universe exploding in my mind.

_And so the golden age is before us, not behind us..._

TWO YEARS EARLIER

You know when you're sitting an exam, staring at a particular question, squinting your eyes in concentration and trying to remember the answer?

I've never had that problem...

... until today.

I sat there, in my Molecular Biology class, staring at my final exam like it was in Latin or Greek and I had no idea what those languages even looked at.

I groaned, rubbed my forehead, and leaned against the chair. Gah. It was as if the entire universe was converging on my brain and cluttering it up so that I couldn't remember. I knew the material, seriously- I loved Molecular Bio, I had an A, and I could easily recite every single ribosome RNA code for different polypeptides by memory. But today, of all the days in the year, the day of my Final Exam, my brain was drawing a blank. It was just _too cluttered_, what with my Advanced Statistics and Environmental Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and (of course) Anatomy classes all encroaching on my brain. For a biology major, I was certainly forgetting the genetic pattern of life.

What was _with _me? I had felt _fine_ and _confident_ prior to entering the exam room. But then there was some sort of large whirring sound outside the classroom and my brain just exploded with derivatives (I took calculus _last_ year, what the heck?) and astrophysical calculations and theorems (took physics _freshman year_,) and all sorts of mumbo-jumbo about astronomy and constellations and the universe (never took astronomy, was going to next year-senior year- for shits and giggles.) It was as if some sort of key had opened my mind to all sorts of physics and calculus things that I, as a bio major, didn't have to worry about.

I groaned and rubbed my forehead again. Two hours left and about a hundred questions left to go, plus an essay. I bit my lip, squinted my eyes in concentration, and went to it. I _had_ to pass the class to get my degree, and God-damn it, I wasn't going to ruin my 95 average in that class just because my brain got _cluttered_. Bitch, please.

Once I concentrated, all the information I had crammed into my brain the night before came back and easily flowed into my pencil. I finished the exam with a half-hour to spare, turned it in, and walked out of my classroom, free as a bird. Figuratively. I still had one more final left before I could go home for the summer...

Environmental Ecology.

You'd think I'd be good at that class- I was a major "greeny," I was the person on campus who put up all the Save-The-Earth posters, I was the head of University of Chicago's Environmental Awareness club, and I put recycling bins in every dorm room- but I had a real beast of a teacher. Professor Santos was a mean, grubby old man with a receding hairline and a terrible need to trim his nose hair. Plus, sometimes the way he pulled at my skin was unnerving. It was as if it wasn't his skin or something. My friend Nadine and I joked around about how he was a werewolf and changed shape every full moon. I had a 97 in the class, of course, but that was through brute force and struggle, and most everyone else was actually failing. I had a good seven point lead above the next highest grade.

Plus, Professor Santos freaked me out sometimes. The way his eyes would bug out and his mouth would almost drool whenever I walked into the room was probably the worst bit. He was also obsessed with the color fuchsia- it was as if every example for the class had a bright purple flower on it or something. You'd think he'd come up with better examples.

So, as I walked out of the Molecular Biology classroom towards my dorm room to begin the epic cramming session, I shouldn't have even noticed the strange blue box next to the city bus stop. But I just so happened to turn my head and notice that, next to the class-walled sitting area, was an object that had never been there before. I frowned and walked up to it. It had a small little light on top, it was a navy-blue color, and the sign at the very top of the box said POLICE CALL BOX. I frowned and read the warning next to the door about emergency calling. When did policemen have boxes? Then again... when did this box reside next to the bus stop that took me to the city? I had come here hundreds of times with my friends to go "out on the town," plus it took me to the airport to go home in little ol' Cambridge, Massachusetts... I would have noticed the "Police Box," or at the very least noticed its construction.

Still frowning, I knocked on the front door of the Police Box. It didn't open, and no one answered. I put my hands on my hips and looked at the door in puzzlement. What in _hell_ could it be?

My phone rang, loud and annoyingly, playing _Headlock_ by Imogen Heap in an obnoxious manner. I didn't feel like picking it up, but I did anyway.

"Emmy! Hey Emmy, mom wants to know if you're coming home immediately after exams, or if you're going to sit in for the summer session, or if you're going to hang out with your friends for a week before coming home," my older sister Carlie gasped into the phone. For a thirty-nine year old woman, you'd think she'd be less perky.

"And why did she ask you to ask me?" I replied in annoyance, still standing in front of the Police Box and squinting at it. I always noticed things like this. Maybe I missed the tiny things, yeah, but this was _huge_.

"Because she asked all four of us- me and Julia and Maria and Anna- to call you and I got to you first," Carlie explained cheerfully.

I rolled my eyes. So like my mother, to have my older sisters check up on me. "I don't know what I'm going to do yet. I'm not taking summer classes, but I might hang out with my friends for a while, yeah. Let her know this. Oh, Carlie? Do you know what a Police Box is?" I asked, frowning up at the offending object.

"It's this thing from Britain- they used them before Cell Phones for people to call the police or for the police to use as mini-stations. Why?" Carlie asked in reply.

I paused, looking up at the outdated object, "No... no reason. Talk to you later," and I hung up the phone. I knocked on the box again, shaking my head in bewilderment.

I took a picture of the Police Box with my cell phone, and walked into my dorm room just down the street. My roommate Sarah wasn't there, so I had no one to talk to about the mysterious box. Realizing that I only had twenty-four hours to study for my exam, I grabbed a pile of textbooks and reference books and my laptop and sprinted out of my dorm room, headed for the library. I wasn't really looking where I was going, just carrying the giant leaning tower of Pisa like some sort of High School Freshman, trying to remember the exact number of blocks to the science library where I could actually think. I passed the offending blue box once more, and managed to keep the mystery from distracting me.

And then I crashed into someone. I _knew_ this would happen- I'm such a klutz- but I didn't expect it to happen so soon. My books went flying everywhere and my butt crash-landed with the hard concrete ground. I looked up, rubbing the back of my head in pain, and saw a man with wild brown hair and wearing a skinny brown suit sitting across from me on the pavement. He had on white sneakers that didn't go with the whole business-man look. I liked the rebelliousness of it, though.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," I gasped, standing up and reaching out for his hand to help him up, "I had so many books I couldn't see where I was going, and I have to study for my Environmental Ecology exam, you understand, right? Are you a professor, or..." I was rambling on as I grabbed his hand and helped him to his feet, nervous and embarrassed beyond belief.

"I'm not a professor, no," the man shook his head, "But it's all right, here, let me help you get your books and papers," he offered. He had a British accent, with just the slightest hint of Scottish. I felt my eyes widen. I loved meeting people from different places.

"Then who are you, sir?" I asked cheerfully, "And what brings you to U Chi-Town?"

"I'm the Doctor. And... U Chi-Town?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me. I shrugged with a small smile.

"University of Chicago, but it's so much more fun to say. And... Doctor of what? Medicine?" I asked.

"Of Everything, really, and I'm quite busy today... sorry to delay you, seems you're busy too," the Doctor laughed.

"When you have Professor Santos, you're never allowed to rest," I sighed, rolling my eyes and packing together all my belongings.

The Doctor started, looking at me in puzzlement, "Professor Santos, did you say?"

"Yep. He's like the devil, only worse. Or... like those Dalek things that came out of the sky a year ago. With all those planets!" I nodded eagerly, "Yep, exactly like a Dalek. Except he 'exterminates your grade,'" I laughed happily.

The Doctor frowned for a moment, "It's been a year since then?"

"Where have _you_ been?" I chortled.

"Long story so, you have Professor Santos, eh? Have you noticed him experiencing any weird behavior, or acting as though he was... oh never mind," the Doctor sighed, "What's your name, then?"

"Emily Rockford," I looked at him in puzzlement, "And Professor Santos _always_ looks weird, acts weird, you know. He's incredibly anti-social and doesn't like to talk to or touch anyone. He creeps me out," I shook a little, "He looks at me like I'm cake."

The Doctor frowned at me, "Like you're cake?"

"Like I'm something delicious to eat, yeah. Mind you, he's so fat I think I look more like greasy French fries, yeah?" I chuckled.

"Don't insult chips," the Doctor snapped. I looked at him for a moment, rolled my eyes, and shifted my books in my arms.

"Kay, fine, I won't insult 'chips.' Why do you care, anyway?" I asked.

"There's been some abnormal extraterrestrial activity in the area, and I came to investigate and... but you have to study for your exams, yes? I can continue on my own," the Doctor sighed and began to edge away from me.

"But if I can help you with him..." I offered. The Doctor looked at me, shaking his head.

"I prefer to work alone," he explained, walking off in the distance. I followed him anyway, shifting my books in my arms to a more comfortable position.

"But if you need help with Professor Santos, I could really..." I offered. He turned around and looked at me through cold eyes.

"I have learned many, many things, Emily Rockford. One thing that I really, really, _really_ need to remember is that I have to work alone. Trust me, Emily, this is for your own safety," the Doctor instructed, looking at me straight in the eye and walking away.

I frowned at him and went back to my dorm room to study. I had had _such_ a strange day. I fell asleep dreaming of a man with spiky brown hair, a British accent, and a skinny brown suit. I really needed a hobby.

The next day was my final, and I actually felt somewhat prepared (sort of.) I walked down to the classroom, humming to myself with the excitement of completing my Junior Year in college. One more year and then I'd be free, free to go and work and live and get my PhD in Biology and learn and see the world and _escape my family_... but as I passed on the street, the same route I always took, I saw that dang Police Box again, in a new location- next to my favorite tree.

I still had an hour before my final, so I stealthily crept over to the Police Box and knocked on the door. But instead of greeting me with silence, the door creaked open and revealed... a golden glow. I frowned and went inside, and was shocked into silence.

The inside of the Police Box was _huge_. I mean, _huge_, it was bigger on the inside, it was filled with gold wires and strange coral branches and a giant consol in the middle with a teal-glowing pole thing with cylinders inside. I looked around in shock, my mind whirring.

And then the good ol' Doctor came out from a hallway, muttering to himself. He looked up and saw me, his eyes widening in shock.

"Well... erm... how'd you get in, then?" he asked, finally after a long silence.

"You... you left the door open," I explained, pointing behind me.

"Oh," and we stared at each other in endlessly awkward silence.

"I usually don't do that. Anyway, so sorry that you had to be bothered by this..." but I cut the Doctor off before he could talk his way out of staying with me again.

"How'd you cram a whole dimension in here?" I asked bluntly. He stopped prattling on and stared at me in shock.

"How'd you figure it out?" he demanded almost angrily.

"Not hard to figure out. It's kind of bigger on the inside, and being a science major I can deduce this crap. So. Whole world in here. How?" I inquired.

"It's... complicated. This is called the TARDIS, and it's grown and this is all... too complicated for me to be telling you when you're just going to be leaving my life, all right?" he groaned.

I looked at him in amusement, "You seem so convinced that I'm leaving."

"Why wouldn't you? I'm just a madman with a box," the Doctor raised his hands up in annoyance.

"But you're interesting. Much more interesting than anything I've encountered... ever," I sighed.

"You people! Always with the interesting and the adventures and the excitement when I try to tell you that it's dangerous and you don't want to come and then you get lost and die or I have to take away your memories and then I feel like the world has ended! Every single time!" the Doctor ran a hand angrily through his hair and turned away from me.

"Sorry. But at the least can I help you with Santos?" I offered, folding my arms across my chest and frowning.

"Why do you want to?" the Doctor snapped.

"Call it not wanting to take an exam. Call it being curious about everything. Call it a need to experience something that isn't mundane. Call it wanting to help. Call it... call it whatever you want," I rolled my eyes.

"Fine. So, what have you noticed about Santos?" the Doctor asked.

"He... he likes to... he's just _gross_," I explained, "He eats like a pig and he's fat and he refuses to touch people and sometimes he... he talks to students privately after class and they just... just disappear," I whispered.

The Doctor frowned, "Okay, well, that would explain it. Let's go, come on," the Doctor sighed. We ran out of the blue box- TARDIS, whatever- together and down the streets of the Quad, causing stares by my fellow students. I loved to run, though, and this particular run was exhilarating. I lead the way as we twisted and turned through the student walkways, the alleyways, and even across a busy street or two. The Doctor looked annoyed, even, as I paused to throw a plastic bottle from the ground into a recycling bin.

"Oi! Time and a place!" he groaned. I rolled my eyes.

"Tell that to the planet. Come on, then, we have an hour before my exam- lord knows he won't be there ahead of time," I shrugged.

"Fine then," the Doctor shrugged, "Have it your way."

We continued running, before I finally ran into someone I knew- unfortunately.

"Well, well, look at that. Emily Rockford, running through the Quad like some sort of first year," Karen Nelson laughed spitefully, stopping the Doctor and me in our tracks. She was wearing her usual trampy outfit- a black mini skirt, stiletto heels, and a tank top- and had obscene amounts of make up on and her beach blonde hair curled and in a ponytail.

"Well, well, look at that. Karen Nelson, walking through the Quad like some sort of Barbie doll," I spat angrily, "What do you want?"

"Look, I know you just _wish_ you looked as good as me," Karen flipped her hair, "But next time you run into me, just apologize."

"I didn't _run into_ you," I sighed, "I simply ran in the way of your path and stopped and you couldn't bother looking up from your nails to notice that I was standing here, and you walked into me."

` "I can vouch," the Doctor agreed behind me, "She had stopped. And we're in a _bit_ of a hurry."

"Oh, but what could you have to do in a rush with _her_?" Karen put on her flirting mode, walking up to him with a saunter in her step, "I mean, she's lame and into science and won't satisfy a man, after all."

"Erm…" the Doctor raised an eyebrow, "I only just met her, a; b I don't, ah, want her to quote-on-quote 'satisfy' me; c I love science, thank you very much; and d, we really have to be somewhere, right now…"

"Ugh," she spat, "You're one of _them_."

"Yeah, okay, Karen, we get it, now I'll bitch-fight with you later, _got to go_!" I sighed, moving past her and sprinting down the streets. The Doctor followed me, frowning.

"Who was she? Why does she hate you so much?" he asked curiously.

"Ugh," I sighed, "She's my roommate from last year. I yelled at her all the time for bringing guys home and sleeping with them and then dumping them the next day, and she couldn't take the criticism."

"Ah," the Doctor nodded as we continued to run, "I'm sorry."

"Why? It's not your fault," I shrugged, "Come on, then, let's go."

We entered the classroom, but of course Professor Santos wasn't there. I sighed and turned back to the Doctor.

"Sorry, Doc," I sighed, "Not here yet."

"It's fine. I'm hungry, anyway. What do you have for breakfast around here? I fancy a banana at the moment. And did you just call me Doc?" he rambled.

"Well, yeah," I shrugged, "It's a bit odd, you know, that you're just called 'The Doctor.' Too formal for me. I need to give you a nickname."

He laughed a little, "Well, I'll be out of your hair soon enough."

"You keep saying that," I grinned, "But come on, there's a café just down the street."

We walked back down the street and entered the Bookstore, walking over to the café part and entering the line.

"Ah! Bananas! Brilliant!" the Doctor laughed, grabbing a few, "Good thing I have some US dollars on me."

"Why wouldn't you?" I asked curiously, grabbing pop tarts and coffee.

"Well, I never _quite_ know where I'm going to end up, nowadays," he shrugged as he stood in front of the counter and bought his bananas and tea, "I just go where there's dangerous extraterrestrial activity."

"You hunt aliens?" I grinned, buying my own snack.

"Well… yeah," the Doctor sighed, shrugging, "Seeing as I am one."

"_No_," I gasped, looking over at him in shock as we sat down at a table, "You don't _look_ like an alien. I've seen aliens, and they don't look like you."

"Well, that's because humans look like my species- the Time Lords," the Doctor shrugged.

"Time Lord? Wow. Next you'll be telling me that you can travel in time and space," I chuckled.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow and looked at me curiously. I felt my mouth drop open and my eyes grow as wide as those of deep-sea squid.

"_No_," I whispered, "Is that what your blue box TARDIS thing does?"

He nodded, eating a banana happily. I laughed and drank my coffee, feeling ecstasy course through my veins. All of time and space! He _had_ to take me with him… I hoped. I prayed. Something to end the futility of this existence.

"Well," I paused, "Why are you in Chi-town, again?"

"Professor Santos," the Doctor explained, "I picked up on the TARDIS strange alien readings in the area and I came to investigate. Also… the TARDIS brought me here," he frowned in puzzlement.

"It brought you here? All by itself?" I asked, laughing.

"Yes," he shrugged, "She does that a lot."

"She?" I raised an eyebrow.

"She," he nodded vehemently, "Definitely a she. Anyway, she brings me to places when there's a reason I need to be there, a major reason- the presence of another Time Lord, for example, or a danger to the local population that shouldn't be there, or something that would influence my life- and there seems to be a reason here, is all."

"Ah," I affirmed, before turning back to my coffee. My mind was whirring. I mean, it explained _everything_ that Professor Santos would be an alien, but... still...

"Yo! Key to all of Time and Space!" the most welcome voice on campus (as opposed to Karen, the least welcome) called out. I looked up and laughed, a little hysterically, at the sight of Greg. He sat next to me and ruffled my hair.

"How's my favorite, dinosaur-obsessed brunette today?" he grinned, his white teeth flashing against his dark skin.

The Doctor looked at us, one eyebrow arched and his eyes in an intense and puzzled expression.

"Why'd you call her the key to all of time and space?" the Doctor asked in bewilderment, drumming his fingers against the table.

"I dunno," Greg looked at him in puzzlement, "I've always called her that. You never answered the question, Em."

"Doc interrupted me. And I'm fine- panicking about the Santos final," I tried to pass off this encounter as normalcy, as if I was just having breakfast with a friend.

"You _know_ you're going to ace it, you're a flipping genius. You scare Valerie Hanes, and she got a perfect SAT score," Greg rolled his eyes, "Plus it's environmental ecology. You love all that green eco-friendly stuff. You're gonna save the world."

"Thanks for reassuring me with empty words," I sighed in exasperation, "Greg, this is the Doctor. He and I just met yesterday."

"Nice to meet you. What, are you trying to get a job at U Chi-Town?" Greg asked.

"Something like that," the Doctor still looked puzzled.

"With an accent like that, I'd think you'd get a job at some fancy place like Oxford or Cambridge or Edinburgh," Greg chuckled, "Just like you, Em, to snag a British dude."

I sighed, "It's not like that, Greg."

"Good thing, too. After Eric I'm about ready to say no more boyfriends for Emily," Greg leaned forward towards the Doctor, "Despite all of the abuse she suffered from him, she wouldn't break up with him! It was only after she figured out he was sleeping with this real slut, Karen..."

"Hey! Greg! Let's keep personal matters _away_ from complete strangers! Who invited you over, anyway?" I slapped the back of his head gently. He laughed in his usual deep Southern tones.

"I see my favorite girl in Chicago, I come over to talk to her. Is that a crime?" Greg raised his hands up above his head. I rolled my eyes.

"One of these days, Greg, you're going to realize that I just see you as my best friend, and you'll finally go get a girlfriend," I smirked at him.

"Can't blame a guy for trying," Greg shrugged, "Anyways, after your final do you want to go hang out with Will? He says he's really got something on that equation."

"He's _never_ going to de-bunk Einstein and you know it," I laughed as Greg stood up.

"He's closer than anyone else, but don't tell the physics staff, they'll go nuts," Greg chuckled, "Plus, haven't you always wanted to travel through time? See the dinosaurs and all that? And you're good at physics, as much as you deny it. You should help him."

"Right. I'll help Will disprove all of modern physics right after I'm done fixing global warming and defeating the next batch of aliens that comes out of the sky. Oh, add to the list passing Environmental Ecology. Adios!" I waved in a tone that implied finality.

Greg laughed as he left the cafe, "You can pass with your eyes closed, Em!"

I sighed and turned back to the Doctor, "Sorry 'bout that. He has been trying to get me to go out with him for two year... you okay?" He still had that same facial expression as before.

"Key of all of time and space... Yeah I'm fine. You have your final, and I have an Abzorbaloff to get rid of," the Doctor sighed, "Come on, then." We got up and walked out of the cafe.

"So how long have you known Greg? And why does he call you that?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, I've known him since Freshman Year, we were on the same co-ed floor and he immediately started flirting with me, but I had a boyfriend at the time and just wanted to be friends. He was surprisingly okay with it and we've been best friends for years, though he keeps flirting with me on and off," I shrugged.

"And the whole time key thing?" the Doctor pushed.

"I dunno," I laughed, "It's just a nickname. It's cause I'm so good at history when everyone in my group is a science geek. Not to mention I love paleontology, it's what I want to do. Though I guess you think paleontologists are funny, since you can travel through time and space? Oh, don't mention that to Will, he'll beg you to tell him how to do it."

"Wasn't planning on it, and I have no problem with paleontologists, per-say... just archaeologists, long story. Well, here we are! Don't be surprised if in the middle of your final there's a loud explosion," the Doctor shrugged, frowning slightly.

"Kay," I sighed, "Will I see you again?"

He looked at me for a very long time, probably debating in his head. Then he grinned despite himself.

"Oh why not. 'Sides, you're so stubborn you'll probably seek me out. We'll have lunch, provided I succeed in what I'm about to do," the Doctor chuckled. I grinned and walked inside the classroom.

And there he was. Professor Santos sat in the front of the classroom, a long dark mustache adorning his pudgy face, oily black hair on his head. He wore a cap and a suit that he claimed was all organic, though this claim was yet to be confirmed. I sat in my seat and tapped my foot impatiently on the floor, looking anxiously outside the window. What was the Doctor going to do, anyway?

"Well, class, if you'll excuse me, I would like to have a small word with each of you in turn during the final. You know, to talk about your performance in this class. The final will begin in a few minutes," Professor Santos straightened his tie, "Emily Rockford, would you be first? The environmental prodigy!" he chuckled happily. I gulped and stood up, the rest of the class watching me curiously. I usually didn't feel this scared.

I followed him inside his office in the back of the room, praying that the Doctor intended to act fast. Who _knew_ what this... Abzorbaloff... thing did. I could assume it wasn't good.

Professor Santos stood in the back of his office, and I stood near the door in case I needed a getaway. The window was open.

"So, Emily, you have been quite an... influential pupil in my class. Such bright ideas for the future of our environment! So inspiring," Professor Santos chuckled, inching his way towards me. I knew that this wouldn't end well if I didn't defend myself or something. Why did _I_ have to be first?

"Thanks, Professor," I answered calmly, casually sliding up next to the window. I looked down and saw the Doctor looking up, pointing a little glowing blue metal stick thing up at the windows. I met his eyes, so that he knew I was up here, before turning back to the alien... thing.

"And your performance in the class has been quite stellar, much better than your fellow classmates!" Santos chuckled, walking around to face me as I backed up to the edge of the wall, next to the window.

"Well, I mean, I have a real passion for the subject, Professor Santos," I explained in a loud voice, loud enough so the Doctor (I hoped) could hear. "I truly believe that all this planet needs is a _Doctor_," I said the last bit loudly, opening the window widely. I needed to jump out, I could see this immediately. Who knew what the creature would do to me.

"I agree completely! I applaud your efforts, Miss Rockford," Santos smiled, a little creepily. I felt like cake again. I swallowed as he held out his hand.

"It has been a pleasure working with you, Emily," he smiled, clearly intending for me to shake his hand. I didn't do so, staring at the hand like it was a poisonous snake. Instinct told me not to touch him.

"Surely you aren't so rude as to not shake your professor's hand?" he laughed, his smile fake and oily.

"I'm afraid I'm a major germaphobe, sir," I shrugged.

"Please, I insist, I am not sick," he chuckled, but his smile was waning.

"No, sir, I'm afraid I must decline. And surely, I need time to finish the final exam, yes?" I begged, trying to slide past him, but he blocked my path.

"I _must insist_ that you shake my hand before you leave, Miss Rockford!" he wasn't smiling anymore, now thrusting his hand very close to my face.

"No!" I cried, before screaming, "DOCTOR!" and jumping out of the window just as the Abzorbaloff thing reached out to grab my face. I knew I would regret this as I screamed, falling towards the prickly bushes below. Oh, wait, there was air resistance and I had jumped out at an angle- my scientific mind was already calculating the force diagram that would send me straight into the concrete. Just perfect.

And then I landed in a pair of strong, albeit buckling, arms. I looked up at the Doctor in shock.

"Wow, Emily, I must say you make quite an entrance. And you aren't very subtle," the Doctor chuckled, though grunting. I slid out of his grip with a smile.

"He's a creep; can we save him from my classmates now?" I asked, "Thanks for saving my life, by the way."

"I was waiting for it the second you not-so-craftily called for me," he rolled his eyes, "Allons-y!"

"Huh?" I asked as we ran up into the building. I looked up and saw the Abzorbaloff looking out of the window in rage.

"You're a smart one, don't you know what that means? It's French," the Doctor asked gruffly as we ran up the steps.

"I'm taking Chinese now and I took Spanish in High School," I explained, panting. I wasn't used to all this running.

"Ah, well in that case, let me rephrase. Vámonos!" he laughed. I laughed along with him as we reached the classroom. The classmates all looked up at us in shock as Professor Santos stumbled out of his office.

"But... you were in there... with him," one student, Rick (who wasn't very bright,) commented.

"The _Doctor_!" the Abzorbaloff gasped.

"Hello, then," he smiled, "Been absorbing college students, then? That's low, even for an Abzorbaloff."

"They are tasty, gullible meals," he argued, "Though you... you would be _such_a meal!"

"Not today, Santos," and he pulled out his metal blue thing and pointed at the long cane the professor always carried. The cane snapped in half, and Professor Santos started screaming. The rest of the class watched with me as our professor melted into the floor, some students even screaming. I looked up at the Doctor in pure shock.

"And that," he paused, "Was the end of him. Come on class, no more final. I don't know what the school will say when they realize he just got up and disappeared. Ah well. Maybe you'll get credit anyway? I apologize for any inconvenience, but really, he was going to kill you all anyway. I did you a favor."

Rick and some of his friends laughed and left the room, high-fiving the Doctor who looked apprehensive at the gesture. I stood next to him, rolling my eyes at my classmates. My friends Kate and Piper smiled at me as they crowded out of the room. The Doctor and I followed when everyone was gone, though I retrieved my bag in the interim. We walked down to the library, where his blue-box-TARDIS thing was waiting.

"Well, Emily, I promised you lunch, and I'll see you then. Do you have any more finals?" he asked casually. I shook my head, feeling dejected. I hoped to travel or something; I guess he really _didn't_ want any more companions or friends traveling with him.

"I'll see you at that cafe again at noon?" I asked, "Today, I mean."

He chuckled, "Yes, you will."

I spent the rest of the day watching Harry Potter (for therapeutic reasons) in my dorm room with Sarah, wondering why this had all decided to happen to me. It wasn't fair, really, but such was life. I had wished my whole life to have an adventure, I guess I didn't realize that it would last two days and be in my own university.

The lunch at noon was delicious, as I got more coffee and my favorite pasta bowl and he had... more bananas and tea. I saw a theme. The tea was something I could understand, since he had _something_ to do with Britain... but bananas? I didn't think I'd ever understand.

We talked about nothing in particular; he seemed to be trying to avoid becoming attached to me. I sighed. I really wish I knew why I wasn't good enough to travel with him. He asked me about my major, my family, my friends, information about all of which I was happy to provide, but I could tell he wasn't listening, not _really_. And when I asked about his life, he brushed it off with a wave of his hand. I felt he just felt he owed me for helping him out with the Abzorbaloff thing.

As we left the cafe, I turned to him and smiled sadly, "I don't suppose I'll ever see you again?"

He shrugged, "Who knows. Probably not. But thank you, Emily Rockford. It's been a pleasure meeting you."

"Yeah," I laughed, giving him a small hug, "Can I ask you one question? That you'll answer?"

He returned the hug and pulled back, "Sure, what?"

"What happened to your other... assistants... that you won't let me come with you? I'm just curious," I shrugged. The Doctor's eyes flashed with sorrow and remembrance, and I immediately felt like an idiot for asking.

"They've all got someone else," he sighed, "Most are dead. A few are locked away in a parallel universe. One had to have her memory of me erased. And the others are all working to save planet Earth from aliens and are done traveling with me. It's emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting and they'd had enough."

"You're all alone?" I asked softly.

"Yes," he shrugged, "But it's better that way. Whenever someone close to me leaves me, both of my hearts break. For the sake of everyone I care about, it's better that I travel alone. Goodbye, Emily." He turned and walked away, towards the TARDIS. I sighed and went in the opposite direction.

I stopped in my tracks when I realized he said _both of my hearts._

The rest of the day passed in a haze, with me just eating snacks and watching Harry Potter and going to bed early, though I didn't sleep. The events of the past two days just played over and over in my mind, an instant replay that I couldn't get over. Eventually, I turned over and fell asleep as the clock struck midnight.

After I had finally woken up the next morning, I put on my jogging shorts and my tank top and my sneakers. Sarah looked at me in puzzlement and I laced up my shoes and filled up a water bottle.

"What _are_ you doing, Emily?" she asked, laughing.

"Going running. I realized yesterday that I'm _really_ out of shape," I shrugged. It was true. I was panting after only a couple of minutes running with the Doctor.

"Ah, okay. Don't yell at me, but I feel like being lazy and going to the movies. Sorry," she grinned. I rolled my eyes.

"It's cool, Sarah. I'll probably do this for a few days, grow tired of it and continue atrophying my muscles like normal people. See you," I waved and walked out of the dorm room, out onto the quad. I set my watch, intending to run or at least power-walk for thirty minutes. I sighed and looked down at myself. College _really_ hadn't been good to me, though I wasn't really _fat_, just curvy. A few too many curves had popped up that I didn't like, though, so I began running. I ran down the pathways of the quad, my iPod blaring in my ears, my arms pumping at my sides. My ponytail full of thick brown hair bounced against my neck as I closed my eyes.

I was at it for fifteen minutes when I felt a small poke in my bare arm. Expecting Greg's usual greeting of "Key to all of Time and Space!" or "My spunky brunette" or "Hello, aqua-eyes," I turned ready to offer my usual un-amused retort. Normal life had to continue just as it always did.

But I leapt back in shock when I saw the Doctor there, wearing his brown pin-stripe suit, and running alongside me in those white converse sneakers.

"Doctor!" I gasped, stopping in my tracks and taking out the ear-buds from my ears.

"Dare I ask why you're jogging this morning?" he asked casually, as if it was perfectly normal for him to be running alongside me, on the University of Chicago campus, in a suit. Maybe, for him, it was.

"Yesterday... all that running made me realize I'm _really_ out of shape," I shrugged, slowing to a walk and taking a swig of my water, "So I decided to change some of my habits, is all. Why are _you_ here?"

"Well, I realized yesterday that I was being awfully rude to you, and really, if it hadn't been for you I might never have gotten to the Abzorbaloff in time, and you and all of your classmates would probably have died, and it would have been all my fault, and really, going to lunch with you and not listening to you as you offer all this information about your life and your family while I refused to offer any information back, well, it was truly ungrateful of me. And I realize I must have come across as if I didn't want _you_ to come with me, which isn't true; you're smart and you're kind and you're adventurous, all the qualities someone who comes with me needs to have, really, in the end. The problem is that I really don't feel like ruining someone else's life, and I really don't feel like losing someone else or getting close to someone else and losing them, because really, there's only so much one Time Lord can take, and you really must forgive me for being so hesitant and rude, but I wouldn't mind, really, if you came along with me this _one_ time, just one trip, because that friend of yours said yesterday that you had always wanted to go traveling in time and such, and I feel like for someone to just say that without knowing who I am or where I go was rather prophetic, I mean, it was pretty much a giant signal telling me to take you on one trip, and really, I haven't been to see the dinosaurs in a while, and it would be a much better way to say thanks, so, whadoya say?" he rambled on and on as we ran down the path.

I laughed, "Slow down, Doc, you're going to run out of breath."

"Oh, I have a respiratory bypass system, I never _really_ run out of breath," the Doctor shrugged nonchalantly.

"And two hearts, apparently," I offered as we pulled up to a busy street and I pressed the walk button.

"What, who told you... oh, I gave it away, didn't I? I said that both of my hearts break, or something of that sort? Blimey, I need to be more careful," the Doctor groaned, running a hand through his hair, making it spike up even more.

"Yeah," I laughed as the light turned and we jogged across the street.

"So, what do you say? One trip? To say thanks?" he asked, leading me over to where his TARDIS was parked, near my library (where I had been headed.)

I frowned, looking up at the blue box as though I were debating. He actually looked a bit put out, but I turned back to him and grinned.

"Of _course_, you dolt," I laughed, "If its okay with you."

"I offered, didn't I?" the Doctor rolled his eyes, "In you get, then," and he snapped the door open with his fingers. I looked at him in amusement and walked in slowly, marveling again at how it was bigger on the inside.

"Anywhere in time and space... and I know where I'm going," the Doctor sighed, "That makes a change."

I laughed as he closed the door behind him and went up to the control panel, which surrounded the cyan colored cylinder thing in the middle. The machine, the TARDIS, _she_, (whatever) hummed delicately.

"Allons-y!" he cried happily, pushing buttons and levers as I stood off to the side. I gave him a look, raising my eyebrows. He chuckled again.

"I _mean_, vámonos!" and he pushed a lever, and the TARDIS began to shake and rattle about.

And so began my adventures with the Doctor.

A/N: One of the longest chapters I have ever written, ever. Please review!


	2. Yay for 95 Percent of Life Dying Out!

Ch. 2: Yay for 95% of Life Dying Out!

The Doctor paced around the consol, pressing buttons and acting in a rather frantic manner, and I sat back and watched him casually. I sat on a railing and hummed to myself, feeling rather awkward. Why had he invited me for a thank-you trip if he was just going to ignore me? Talk about a begrudging thank-you trip.

"So, what period of time do you want to see? Which era of dinosaurs?" the Doctor asked eagerly, walking over to me and leaning on the consol, "Perhaps the late Cretaceous, time of the T-Rex and the triceratops? Or maybe the middle Jurassic, with the Megalosaurus and Dryosaurs running about. Or maybe..."

"Late Triassic, please," I smiled warmly at him.

"Really?" he asked, though that smile was still on his face, "I wouldn't have pictured you as a late-Triassic type."

"I like the early dinosaurs," I shrugged, "I find them fascinating."

"Late Triassic it is, then!" he laughed, "Allons-y!" I rolled my eyes as he pushed more and more buttons and hit one of them with a hammer, his foot stretched out on the consol to kick a switch. I was laughing silently from my spot, amused by the chaotic manner in which he drove his TARDIS-thing.

The TARDIS made a who-voooh, who-voooh sound and lurched to a stop. I braced myself against the railing and grinned at the Doctor, who looked eager. He grabbed his trench coat from the commander's chairs behind him and skipped to the door.

"Late Triassic! Land of the Coelophysis and Plateosaurus and Eoraptor and a whole slew of weird reptiles!" he laughed, opening the door, "Gateway to the Mesozoic, because really, whoever survived this era would rule the rest of history... and it would be disastrous, just disastrous, if the mammals had it first... _Raptor sapiens_ aren't exactly my favorite possibility..." he rambled as we stepped into a wide, vast desert. It was just like the Sahara, with rolling dunes of sand and wind filled with the gritty bits of powdered rock. The sun beat harsh against my forehead and I rubbed the sweat off my brow. I could feel my skin sunburn as we stood there.

"Do you have any sun block or something?" I asked breathlessly.

"Oh yeah," he acknowledged, "The TARDIS takes care of it. She translates every language in this universe and protects you from all alien or minor diseases', including sunburn though that's not really a _disease_, so don't worry about it," he beamed cheekily. I rolled my eyes and nodded, though I wiped more sweat off my brow that wasn't cooking but felt a whole heck of a lot like it.

"So, where are we?" I asked breathlessly.

"Erm... well I _thought_ we were in the middle of Africa, which wasn't actually all that dry during this era, it was mostly rainforests... so where _are_ we..." he turned around on the spot, his converse sneakers digging holes in the sand. I pulled out my sunglasses from my shorts' pocket and immediately felt a bit more comfortable. The Doctor, meanwhile, bent down towards the sand and picked up some, letting it drain from his fingers. He was frowning and he even tasted some of the sand.

"Because _that's_ not gross at all," I muttered under my breath. He snorted and stood up, wiping off his hands.

"Get used to it. So... I don't think we're in the Late Triassic. I sort of went off course," he sighed.

"Then when are we?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and watching him curiously.

"Oh you're a smart one, you'll be able to figure it out the moment we see our first creature... though I'll give you a hint, we _are_ in Africa..." he smiled slightly. I rolled my eyes and walked up a large sand dune to figure out the puzzle for myself. I reached the top of the dune before he did, and I looked down at a giant shack of metal. I frowned as I looked at it- it appeared alien, it certainly wasn't from _my_ era of time. There wasn't much movement from inside, though I did hear robot sounds from this far away. I frowned and tried to decide if this meant we were in the future instead of the past, or on a different planet, or if aliens had invaded the earth in the Triassic...

I went back to the other side of the dune where the Doctor was studying the sand, looking in puzzlement at a large metal beam in the middle of the sand. He was wearing rather geeky looking glasses.

"Are we in the future or something? Because there was totally a weird metal shack thing on the other side of that sand dune," I asked, hopping over to him through the sand.

"No... we're in the late Permian..." he answered, still frowning at the metal thing, "And for some reason, that's important to some alien race..."

"Late Permian?" I gasped, "Awesome! Though, there's the whole problem about a major mass extinction going around above our heads..."

"I know..." he was still staring at the metal in a preoccupied manner, "Was there anything in the shack?"

"Nope," I answered, "Just this weird metal robot sound I heard from the shack."

"What did it look like?" the Doctor asked sharply, looking up at me fiercely. I shrugged.

"I dunno, I didn't see it," I replied, defensive.

The Doctor stood up and brushed off his knees. He took off the glasses and put on a pair of shades, grinning briefly at me.

"Well," he returned to stoicism, "I guess we'd better leave it alone. Maybe it was left behind after some testing, or it's an ancient Silurian house... let's go."

We went off in the opposite direction, treading through the sand. At least I looked semi normal, in jogging shorts and a tank top- the Doctor still had on his trench coat and his suit and his tie.

"Erm... aren't you boiling in that?" I asked as we cleared another sand dune and I squinted into the sun.

"Nah, I don't get very hot or very cold as easily as you humans," the Doctor shrugged, "Rather useful, especially at times like this."

"What _are_ you, exactly?" I asked as he knelt down to tie his shoes.

"Time Lord. I told you. Last of, actually," he shrugged, placing his arms akimbo and his hands on his hips and surveying the landscape, "Well, the late Permian is exactly as devoid of life as I expected it to be. If I weren't so afraid of whatever left that metal behind, I'd go back to the TARDIS and go to some other time in prehistory..." he frowned, almost comically.

"And what exactly _is_ a Time Lord?" I asked, "I mean, I know you have two hearts and a respiratory bypass system and good inner climate control and can travel in time and space and are an alien, but other than that..."

"That's all you need to know," he shrugged, in a tone that indicated finality.

"I disagree," I replied cheekily, "I think I have a right to know who the man that's dragging me across the universe is."

He turned around and looked at me with one raised eyebrow, "Didn't you _want_ to come?"

"Yes, but you denied my initial request and later asked me to come with you. Hence, _you_ wanted me to come. For all you know, I'm doing this out of pity," I put my hands on my hips and my arms bent, smirking slightly.

"Are you?" he asked sharply.

"'Course not. I'm just being hypothetical," I shrugged.

He rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh, "Look. We don't really have time for this. For all you know there's a giant sandstorm coming over that dune over there. For all we know there's a giant alien base over those mountains. For all you know, beneath our feet is some sort of carnivore burrowed in the dust, waiting to ambush us," he pointed to each location as he spoke.

I raised an eyebrow, "And? Look, all children are instilled with the mantra 'don't run off with strangers,' even though I'm old enough to think for myself I feel it's a fair question to ask whom I'm traveling with."

"And it is," he groaned quietly, "Thing is, Emily, I don't really provide details of my life like candy. I might let something slip occasionally, but really, if I'm not sticking with someone for a while, what's the point? I've been alive a very, very long time, and giving out my life story takes far too long for my liking."

"How old are you?" I asked bluntly.

"Nine hundred and seven," he answered just as bluntly, "Will that be all?"

I wasn't as shocked as I thought I'd be, or as he thought I'd be. I shrugged, "For now," and went past him up the sand dune. If he was always this difficult, maybe traveling with him wasn't worth it.

I immediately thought back to Eric. He hadn't been worth it, but I hadn't seen it right away. So I swallowed and gave the Doctor a second chance in my head, knowing that he could turn out to be worth it. He seemed to have suffered a lot, and how was I supposed to know what that was like in order to criticize his behavior?

Though... The whole mystery thing was going to get on my nerves very, _very_ fast.

I looked over the next sand dune and gasped at what I saw. There was a giant burrow, right in the middle of a valley of sand. I ran towards it, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Emily!" the Doctor called out warningly, but I ignored him. I knelt down in front of the hole and peered inside, humming to myself. There appeared to be a small drop down to a large sort of holding area below. The drop was shallow enough that I could survive it.

And that was the precise moment my curiosity got the better of me. I dangled my feet over the edge of the hole, took a deep breath, and jumped.

I landed smoothly onto a cracked eggshell. After checking to make sure I was okay, I looked around at my surroundings. There were many cracked eggshells, though there were no hatchlings. I immediately thought that there must have been some sort of other animal invader that had eaten the eggs.

"Emily, _please _get out of there before I have a conniption..." the Doctor groaned, now peeking over the edge of the hole.

"Some sort of egg thief was in here. I think the mother left after that," I informed, ignoring his demand. I knelt down and examined the egg shells, "Rather odd, though, cause usually they'd only eat a few eggs, not all of them... at least, that's what studies say..."

"Look, I'm glad you're having your fun, but please, I'm worried that whatever alien was here before has not yet left..." the Doctor demanded, anger filling his voice.

"Wait a second... look at _you_!" I gasped, kneeling down next to an eggshell. Inside was a baby reptilian, with two tiny little fangs poking out of its mouth and a short tail. It squealed at me as I picked it up. I cooed at it, in typical human-female fashion, and it gurgled.

"Emily..." the Doctor groaned warningly.

"It must have been abandoned! Look at the little guy!" I squealed affectionately.

"Emily, please put it back in case its mum comes back," he sighed.

"I don't think its mum _is_ coming back. This nest is abandoned and egg thieves must have gotten to the others. This baby must have hatched quite recently. Do you have any food on the TARDIS?" I asked casually. He groaned and nodded.

"Now _please_ come up before someone else gets to you," he groaned. I handed him the hatchling and made a move to come up after it, but then a giant rumbling noise sounded and the ground rapidly disappeared from beneath my feet.

I screamed in terror as I fell down towards a bright, orange liquid- lava? Magma? Something of that sort. I immediately thought of all the things I had never done and never said and _why the hell did I travel with..._

And then I hit a giant, rocky surface. I gasped and stumbled to my feet- I was on a rock island in a sea of magma.

Juuuuuuuuuuuust great.

I looked around wildly for a way out and saw another, smaller rock island a bit of a ways off. I groaned and looked up to see the Doctor looking down at me in terror.

"Emily! Emily? Emily are you okay?" the Doctor called anxiously.

"Yeah I'm... I'm fine," I called back up, spinning around on the rock anxiously, "But there's no way out of here."

"Nothing?" the Doctor demanded, a bit of a groan in his voice.

"Nada," I affirmed, sighing, "There's a small rock about a yard away and I _know_ I can't jump that far."

"Okay," the Doctor nodded, "I'm coming down to get you."

"No!" I yelled. He looked startled, even from such a distance. I clarified, "It's too dangerous- this platform is barely holding me as it is."

"Right," he nodded, "Can you catch?"

"Uh..." I paused, "Maybe."

"Alright, well, the TARDIS can get me a new one if you drop it," the Doctor groaned, "Catch!" And his little metal stick with the blue end came soaring down towards me (accelerating at 9.8 m/s... oh my God I am a nerd) and I managed to gingerly catch the end, barely holding onto it before it slipped into the lava.

"Got it!" I cried, my voice already breathless.

"All right," he answered, "Now, it's on the right setting, so just point at the nearest rock and shoot so that you can jump onto it. Keep going until you reach somewhere solid, and I'll try to get down to you."

"Oh geez," I moaned. I pointed the little blue thing at the rock and I pressed the button. Like magic, the rock moved slowly towards me. I didn't want to push it, so when I saw it was close enough for me to jump I jumped. I managed to barely make it onto the wobbly rock, and I sighed heavily.

"Okay, one down... hopefully there's another one," I mumbled to myself. Great. Now I was talking to myself. Just great.

Leave it to a strange, alien man with a British accent to completely ruin my life.

I searched around and saw another floating rock about a foot away. Not wanting to waste too much energy with the sonic thingy (did it run on batteries? or was I completely insane to think so?) I just jumped onto it. I repeated the process, jumping from rock to rock, a nagging voice in the back of my head reminding me that I was an utter klutz and more likely to fall into the magma than to reach the next one.

I tried not to think about that bit too much.

Instead I focused on trigonometry. Out of all the subjects in math I've ever studied, trig had always been and would always be my favorite. As I went over trig ratios and identities through my head, I managed to ignore the fact that I was pretty much about to die any second and would never again see Greg or Sarah or Will or Mia ever again. I did take pleasure in the fact that I would never have to endure a Karen taunt again. Or that Eric would never again cross my vision. Or that, while sitting around the TV and eating potato chips with my besties, I would never feel awkward to Vincent's presence (hooking up with one of your best friends is never a good idea.)

The concentration on trig identity proofs saved my life.

Each time I jumped onto a new rock and wobbled towards the raging inferno of molten rock below, I didn't think of my own life. I thought of math. Who knew?

Each time I slipped upon landing on a new rock I didn't think of never seeing my group of friends again. I thought of angles. Who knew?

Who knew that could work?

I finally saw a giant rock ledge that I could just climb onto, and I used the strange sonic thing to push myself towards it. The sonic wasn't perfect, however, and the rock wobbled and wiggled and just as it tipped over I leapt onto the ledge and held on for dear life.

_Oh my God I'm alive_, I thought happily, _I'm alive I'm alive I'm alive I'm alive..._

Unfortunately, rock climbing had never been one of my strong suits.

And I had run out of trig identities.

_Shit_, I thought angrily, _now what?_ I stared around me and tried to find a way out, but I was quickly slipping from my tentative foot hold and the heat from the lava was killing me. I swallowed, imagined myself in my happy place, and started to reach around for another hand grip. My fingers were sweaty and it was hard to hold on, and my running shoes weren't built for rocks from 250 million years ago, but every time I slipped and just caught myself (a grand total of 12 times) I pictured myself in my happy place.

And before I knew it, I was on a rock-hard (ha, ha) surface, stable and on my feet. At some point I had dropped the sonic silver thing into the lava; hopefully the Doctor wouldn't get _too_ mad. It was either that or my life and really, I didn't even think between the two.

I brushed myself off, took a deep breath, and walked through the strange rocky corridor kind of thing. I was reminded of a medieval castle, or Hogwarts, wait Hogwarts _is_ a medieval castle... Something eerie and stone-y and dark. I could swear I smelled guano.

Yup, definetly the smell of bat droppings.

(I only knew this from working at the zoo, I swear.)

Finally, I reached the end of the long and winding road (ha, ha, I mean corridor) and was met with a giant, metal door that _definetly_ didn't fit the Permian landscape. I frowned, and prayed that the Doctor would be on the other side or something. But the odds of that, with my luck, were probably nil.

So I knocked on the door, and as it creaked slowly open I stepped through and blinked rapidly. Tons and tons of artificial light met my eyes and I was practically blinded. I gasped and straightened out my stupid jogging shorts and tank top and dived underneath a metal table to observe the surroundings.

It was like some sort of space-age metal lab. There were genetic equipment and engineering tools and all sorts of crap that I didn't even know what it was for. I felt rather sick to my stomach as I tried to figure out what in hell could be in here, and where the hell the Doctor was.

A metal door at the end of the room opened and pretty much my worst nightmare came gliding in. I tried to keep my breathing quiet as the creature I had only met once in the most nightmare-ish of days. I bit my lip so hard I felt blood pool underneath my teeth and I tried not to cry.

"SECURITY-HAS-BEEN-BREACHED! SECURITY-HAS-BEEN-BREACHED!" the creature cried in semi-hysteria. I began to creep around the metal tables, trying to be as discreet as possible, knowing that if I were seen for even a second I would be killed. Somehow, I missed the lava and the rocks.

My hands were sweaty and trembling as I scampered around the spinning and crying out monster and I felt my knees buckle under my weight. I squinted my eyes shut and tried to imagine a better day, a better outcome, somewhere to go or somewhere to hide.

"WHERE-IS-THE-LIFEFORM?" the alien suddenly gasped, "I-MUST-SCAN-FOR-LIFE"

I continued to scurry around the lab, dodging the thing's life scan and trying to not let my sobs escape my mouth. My heart pounded in my chest and it was so loud I was surprised the monster hadn't heard me.

Just as I managed to make it to be right next to the door, the creature detected my life with his scanner.

"COME-OUT-HUMAN," the monster from my nightmares demanded, "OR-YOU-WILL-BE-EXTERMINATED."

I stood up and looked the Dalek squarely in the eyestalk. I took a deep breath and braced myself for the inevitable blue light and death soon to follow. I remembered the scream of my best friend Rachel as she was killed and tried to remind myself that it was quick...

"HOW-DID-YOU-GET-HERE?" the Dalek demanded as it scanned my body again, "YOU-ARE-FROM-THE-21ST-CENTURY. YOU-COULD-NOT-HAVE-COME-HERE."

"Erm... a friend of mine gave me a lift," I stammered.

"YOU-ARE-AMERICAN." the Dalek stated. I nodded, still sweating.

"WHAT-IS-THE-NAME-OF-YOUR-FRIEND?" the Dalek asked. I wrung my hands together, not liking this endless torture and wishing that he would just exterminate me already.

"Ah... th-the Doctor," I mumbled.

"THE-_DOCTOR_?" the Dalek cried, "MAXIMUM-SECURITY-ALERT! MAXIMUM-SECURITY-ALERT! MAXIMUM-SECURITY!" the Dalek alerted, gliding past me into the room beyond. I followed him, knees still shaking; wondering what could _possibly_ come next.

"THE-DOCTOR-IS-HERE?" another Dalek asked. There were a grand total of four Daleks standing around, including the one that brought me here.

"YES-HE-IS. THIS-IS-HIS-ASSOCIATE," the Dalek that had brought me in explained. I felt the tears begin to pour out of my eyes.

"WHAT-IS-YOUR-NAME?" the main Dalek, the first one besides the one to find me to speak, demanded. I was terrified. Usually Daleks just killed, they didn't ask names or nationalities or _anything_. What had _happened_?

"E-Emily. Emily Rockford," I stammered, my mind still whirring as to why in hell he _cared_.

Utter silence met my words. I looked around at all the confused Daleks and felt my legs grow too weak for me to stand on.

"YOU-WILL-BE-KEPT-HERE," the main Dalek ordered, "THE-DOCTOR-WILL-COME-AND-HE-WILL-BE-EXTERMINATED."

"NO!" I cried, but I was immediately shocked by my quick response. I barely knew him, why did I care so much if he died? But immediately the thought send a shock wave of pain through my body.

_I need him to get home_, I thought, _that's the only reason_.

"BE-QUIET," a third Dalek ordered. I sat back and tried to keep as silent as possible.

"OPEN-THE-OUTDOOR-HATCH," the fourth Dalek instructed. I watched as they opened a third giant metal door and sunlight poured in like a dammed river set free. I breathed in deeply and prayed the Doctor never found me.

It seemed like hours, but it could only have been about ten minutes. In that time, I looked around the Dalek lab. There were power generators that whirred and hummed and were as huge as you could imagine. There were lab tables and all sorts of strange biological materials on the tables. I saw, in the corner, a giant pile of dead baby Gorgonops.

_Well, there went the other babies_, I thought as I gagged a little bit.

When the Doctor came in through the door, I took a step forward and called out, "NO! No, Doctor, _no_!" but he didn't listen to me. He came into the Dalek lab and raised his hands above his head.

"EXTERMINATE!" a Dalek ordered.

"No, no, no wait- _wait_!" the Doctor instructed, "I demand some answers first!"

"WHY?" another Dalek asked.

"Just... because. This is all _very_ odd, why would you come back to the biggest extinction in Earth history? It's not as if humans are alive now, and nothing here could threaten you," the Doctor rambled.

"THERE-WAS-NO-EXTINCTION," one Dalek stated.

"What? It's happening all around you, ninety-five percent of life is dying out right outside!" the Doctor sighed, exasperated. I heard him mutter under his breath, "_Every time I lose something they come back..._"

"THERE-WAS-NO-EXTINCTION," the same Dalek insisted.

"You're completely _mental-_ oh wait!" the Doctor hit his forehead with his palm repeatedly, "So you're causing the extinction, then, _Dalek_? Why? Humans won't evolve for another 250 million years! What did tiny mammal-like reptiles ever do to you?"

"WE-ARE-EXTERMINATING-THE-HUMANS," another Dalek explained.

"You're completely _nuts_, there are not humans here except for her... oh _wait_," the Doctor gasped, "You aren't _done_ yet."

"ALL-OF-LIFE-ON-EARTH-WILL-BE-EXTERMINATED," a third Dalek, the one that found me, insisted, "ESPECIALLY-THE-GORGONOPS."

"So you think if you kill all of life on Earth it'll stop the humans from ever existing, and bring the Daleks back?" the Doctor finished.

"YES," the lead Dalek, the only one who hadn't spoken yet, answered.

"But how come you didn't just wipe out all life on Earth first? You could have just done it with a choking pure carbon dioxide atmosphere..." the Doctor frowned, "Wait... you don't have enough _power_!"

"YOUR-CLONE-DAMAGED-US," the lead Dalek explained, "WE-HAVE-LITTLE, BUT-SOON-WE-WILL-BE-STRONG."

"Don't be thick, do you honestly think you could wipe out all life on earth with the little technology you have? You'd do better to just go somewhere to rebuild than to try and bring back the Daleks by _default_. You're only ever going to kill 95% of life, and guess what; _the next era on Earth has some of the most diverse life forms of its history!_ You failed, _Dalek_," the Doctor spat.

"YOU-WILL-BE-EXTERMINATED," the head Dalek cried.

"Oh please," the Doctor rolled his eyes, "I have _no_ plan, _no_ resources, and _nothing_ to lose. That scares you to death, I assume?" and the Doctor grinned maniacally before turning around and knocking over a giant power generator.

"EXTERMINATE-THE-DOCTOR!" the lead Dalek screamed. Blue flashes fired everywhere and I hid behind a table, shaking and pulling my knees up to my chest. Why in _hell_ hadn't they killed me yet?

The Doctor continued to knock over the crude generators and jumped around, laughing so that I thought he was completely nuts. Before I knew it, he was by my side and he pulled me to my feet.

"How are you doing, Emily?" he asked, laughter in his voice.

"Fine," I whispered, "Why in _hell_ are you so happy?" I hissed.

"Because I've got nothing to lose," the Doctor shrugged before turning to the Daleks, "One last question!"

The Daleks stopped shooting and turned to face us.

"Why haven't you exterminated Emily? Believe me, I'm glad she's alive, but this is incredibly out of character for you lot," the Doctor demanded.

"SHE-IS-NOT-YET-READY," a Dalek stated.

"What _are_ you talking about?" the Doctor frowned.

"SHE-HAS-NOT-BEEN-AWOKEN. THE-KEY-MUST-MATURE," the Dalek explained.

"What _key_?" the Doctor hissed.

"EXTERMINATE-THE-DOCTOR-BUT-KEEP-THE-GIRL-ALIVE!" the lead Dalek ordered.

"Allons-y!" the Doctor hissed in my ear, and he pulled me along and we ran out of the lab, destroying everything in our wake.

"How'd it go with the lava river?" he asked as we ran out into the desert and away as fast as we could from the Daleks, though I could hear them chasing us.

"Fine, though I dropped in your silver thingy," I explained, looking up at him sorrowfully as I squeezed his hand.

"Ah, it's alright, at least you're okay. Could be worse," the Doctor shrugged. I smiled weakly at him as we continued to race throughout the sand dunes and hills.

"How is little Freesa?" I asked casually as we made it over the next sand dune.

"Who?" the Doctor asked in puzzlement as we heard the Daleks gaining on us.

"The baby Gorgonops I saved," I explained, "Turns out the Daleks stole the eggs to experiment on them or something and they left her behind."

"Oh, she's in one of my pockets," the Doctor answered uninterestedly.

"What? She could choke!" I gasped, horrified.

"Oh, my pockets are bigger on the inside. She has plenty of room to breathe," the Doctor shrugged.

"What else have you got that's bigger on the inside?" I asked, a smirk playing on my lips. The Doctor gave me a look and we turned around to see the Daleks stopped on the highest sand dune.

"WE-MUST-HIBERNATE!" the lead Dalek ordered.

"HIBERNATE-HIBERNATE-HIBERNATE!" the other Daleks agreed. Suddenly, they disappeared in the air.

"They couldn't have gone far," the Doctor remarked casually, "I knew they had very little energy left, so I just ran until they couldn't chase us anymore. They're probably halfway around the world, and going off to die."

"Well, they deserve it," I hissed softly. The Doctor looked at me, horrified.

"They killed my best friend Rachel," I muttered, "For no reason at all."

"Ah," the Doctor nodded, "I'm sorry."

I shrugged, "I'm sorry, too, for running off without you. And for being somewhat violent about them. They don't deserve... never mind."

"It's okay," the Doctor assured, "Really. They've taken away a lot from me, too, and I understand completely. They probably won't die, though," the Doctor sighed, "Even when we both lose everything, they always come back."

I looked up at him with sad eyes. He returned my gaze, and smiled weakly.

I gave him a hug, unable to contain it. Besides, he liked hugs- I'd only known him for three days and I knew he liked hugs. He returned it tightly, and when I broke away he frowned at me.

"Why did they keep you alive? Keep in mind, I'm glad, but..." the Doctor looked incredibly frustrated.

"No idea," I shrugged, "They kept me alive when they invaded Earth, too."

"Really?" the Doctor asked, surprised.

"Yeah," I nodded, "Rachel and I were out in New York, where she was from, just for fun that day 'cause we were out of school. The Daleks found us and they killed her immediately, but they scanned me and said, SPARE-THE-KEY. I have no idea why," I shrugged.

The Doctor watched me for a long time before sighing and shrugging. We were really close to where he parked the TARDIS, so he reached into his jacket and pulled out Freesa. I smiled at the little cooing thing and nestled it quietly to my chest.

"Freesa?" he asked, and I shrugged. We went inside the TARDIS as he rolled his eyes.

"You can go clean up, if you want," the Doctor offered, "Just go down that corridor, it should be the first door on the right. And there should be some food for... Freesa... inside the first door on the left. I'll take you somewhere else, since that trip was sort of ruined."

"Ha, thanks," I grinned and ran to the room where the food should be. Inside was a small room, with a pen that would have been just big enough for Freesa when she was free grown, and a fridge. When I went inside, I saw some meat. I held my breath (I was vegetarian and hated meat) and tore off chunks of the steak-like thing and put them inside the grassy, sandy pen with Freesa, along with some water. The little hatchling chirped happily and ate and drank and ran around. I shown a heat lamp onto the scene and went to the room across the hall.

There was a girl's room, incredibly pink and littered with items. Inside the closet were some clothes that were my size, though I would never have picked them out for myself. I sighed and went into another room, right next door, which was a giant wardrobe filled with clothes. I picked out jeans and a graphic blue t-shirt that said "SAVE THE HUMANS" with a whale on the front. I laid them out for me on the bed in the pink room and found an iPod boom box. Grinning to myself, I put my iPod in the boom box and hit play on one of my favorite songs.

"_Baby, baby, baby, you are my_ _voodoo child, my voodoo child  
You're like voodoo baby  
You just take hold  
Put your cards on the table, honey,  
Do I twist, do I fold?  
You're like voodoo honey,  
All silver and gold  
Why don't you tell me my future?  
Why don't I sell you my soul?  
So here it comes  
The sound of drums  
Here come the drums  
Here come the drums_," I sang along with as loud as I could, but just as I reached the first chorus the Doctor came barging in.

"Don't _ever_ sing that song," he hissed, walking over to the boom box and turning it off as I cried, "Hey!"

"Never, _ever_, ever let me hear that song, got it?" he ordered, and left in a flash. I watched him go, rolled my eyes, and went to take a shower.

_Time Lord_, I thought in annoyance.

A/N: Wow that took me forever to write. Sorry, I'm taking physics this summer so that I can take AP Biology next year and I've been so busy. Also, there will be some Torchwood crossovers later on in this. Yay. Just so peeps know. Please, please, please review; I get so many more hits than reviews and I truly appreciate the feedback. Thanks so much!


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